'Innocent victim' Carney bashed

Sacked National Rugby League star Todd Carney is recovering with a black eye after allegedly being bashed by a group of four young men in far north Queensland.

Carney's agent David Riolo said the incident happened in Atherton about 3:00am (AEST) on Sunday.

After Carney was sacked by Canberra following a string of alcohol-related incidents, eyebrows were raised when he took up residence and employment at a pub as part of a one-year deal with Cairns league club Atherton Roosters.

But Riolo said that Carney was an innocent party to Sunday's incident.

"If you get jumped from behind by four blokes it's not like you are an instigator," he said.

"He's a bit rattled, but he's OK."

Riolo conceded that Carney had a "target on his head" when he went out at Atherton but said his client was happy overall with the way he had been accepted by the town.

"He's going well. He is working hard. He's just disappointed that he's been whacked but that's life," Riolo said.

Four men - aged 19, 21, 25, 23 - have been charged with public nuisance and will appear in Atherton Magistrates Court on June 2.

Riolo said Carney had initially asked that charges not be laid.

Atherton Roosters president Mick Nasser - who also employs Carney at the Barron Valley Hotel - said he had no problem with the star half-back being out at 3:00am despite his history.

"He wasn't drunk. He had had just a few drinks. And it's the only time he has a drink - after games," Nasser said.

"Otherwise he is working hard or training or doing junior development around the area.

"Look, he's the innocent victim in this.

"He was at a 21st, some bloke on the drink provoked him, he walked away from it, didn't want a bar of it, they followed him down the road and bashed him.

"He didn't even want to press charges, didn't want it in the papers."

Nasser said Carney was more embarrassed by the incident and would be fit to play the team's next game against Tully this weekend.

"It has made him think twice about going out," Nasser said.

"Most of the people up here are really good to him.

"But unfortunately all it takes is a couple of idiots to spoil it."

Carney has been linked to a return to the NRL with the Sydney Roosters from 2010.